History of Darkness
by foxdemonsrock
Summary: A month after defeating Pitch, Jack starts to become concerned when there is no sign of the boogieman. When Jack goes to investigate, what he finds both shocks and terrifies him. Determined to help, Jack discovers the Nightmare King's tragic past. He vows to help the boogieman regain at least some of his humanity, much to Pitch's dismay. Pitch/Jack Frost.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** So, this plot bunny has been bugging me for a while. Personally, I think there is too much rape/non-con in this ship. This is how I see their relationship. But, no worries. Lots of angst because it's my favorite ;)

* * *

It had already been a month since the Guardian's victory against Pitch, but Jack still felt as though something was amiss. This feeling started the day after they had defeated the Nightmare King. The Guardians had not heard a single thing from Pitch. The Nightmares were still running wild, but their master was nowhere to be found.

After the first week, Jack tried to find any sign that Pitch had been active, but found absolutely nothing. The Frost Sprite had then attempted to find the entrance to the Nightmare King's home under the dilapidated bed frame, but there was no sign of neither the entrance nor bed frame. When Jack asked the other Guardians about it, they didn't sound concerned. They even seemed happy that Pitch was gone. The young Frost Sprite tried to share their enthusiasm, but he just could not. When Pitch had found him in the Arctic, it was the most human he had seen him. The King of Nightmares had been completely alone, for centuries before Jack Frost had even existed. He understood the loneliness and bitterness that came with solitude. At the time, Jack was certain that there was no way that he would join the boogieman, but perhaps there was another way.

* * *

Jack frowns, leaning back on the tree branch he was balanced on as he gazes out at his iced over pond in the Burgess. He had been searching for the boogieman for about two and a half weeks now, and still had no luck. No sign of him under beds, hiding in closets, absolutely nothing. He even tried following one of the Nightmares, but it merely led him all around the city before disappearing into smoke when the sun rose.

The Frost Sprite sighs heavily, as the sun lowers behind the tree line, starting to lose hope of finding the boogieman. Just before the Frost Sprite rose from his perch, something whipped past him, headed towards the town. Jack darts up, catching the wind, and quickly takes chase.

The youngest Guardian smirks, catching sight of a small Fearling flitting from window to window, searching for a victim for the evening. He manages to sneak up behind it, but as soon as he grasps onto one of it's wispy tails, it lets out a shriek, darting to the nearest shadow. Jack yelps, strengthening his hold, helplessly trying to hang onto the shadow creature. After weeks of looking under beds and in closets, he was becoming desperate. The Fearling dissolves into the shadows from one of the houses, taking Jack along with it.

* * *

Jack Frost lets out a huff when he lands roughly face first onto the familiar dirt floor of the Nightmare Realm. He grimaces, spitting out a mouthfull of dirt, before taking in his surroundings. The Fearling that he had hitched a ride from was long gone, having disappeared into the darkness. Jack grins, hopping up to his feet gracefully, and picks up his staff, that had landed next to him.

As he floats off his feet, starting to explore the main cavern, he starts to feel uneasy. Shouldn't there be more Nightmares here? And where was Pitch? He hadn't gotten very far last time before the boogieman revealed himself. Something felt off. The darkness surrounding him seemed to be alive, squirming with distress. Yes. Something was definitely wrong.

The newest Guardian finally manages to find a hallway, but it seemed darker than the others. There was a thick layer of dust covering the floor and walls, signaling that it was unused. He figured that Pitch more than likely wasn't down that way, but curiosity got the better of him, and he floated forward, clutching his staff tightly.

At the end of the corridor, was a large, thick, rusty, metal door. Jack frowns, carefully pulling the door open. The sight he was greeted with, terrified him. There was a large cage at the corner of the room, with the black bars pried apart, and the door open. The key to the prison was in the lock. What was horrifying, was the deep claw marks, and splattered blood stains covering the floor and walls. Jack drifts over to a large pool of blood on the floor and reaches out a shaking hand to touch the sliver glint that caught it eye. It was a locket. The metal was rusted slightly and had blood splattered across it. He shutters at the gore, and tries desperately to wipe the blood from it, but to no avail. The blood was too old. Judging by the layers of dust covering everything in the room, and the toppled over chair in the opposing corner, whatever happened, it was long ago. Jack opens the locket and cocks his head to the side, seeing a faded picture of a young girl, appearing to be about ten, with long, wavy blonde hair, and sapphire blue eyes.

Before he could observe the photograph any longer, he jumps, hearing something out in the hallway. The Frost Sprite flies out of the room, quickly closing the door behind him, as he slips the locket into his hoodie pocket, deciding to investigate it further after he finds Pitch. A shadow darts across the hallway, and Jack flies after it curiously. It turns a into a hallway closer to the hanging cages, and makes a couple of turns before vanishing. The young spirit sighs heavily, his shoulders sagging in defeat. Why was it so hard to find Pitch in his own _home_? Just before Jack turns around, about to try another hallway, he sees light flickering from underneath a doorway. He smirks, cautiously opening the door, but his grin quickly falls when he sees the figure in the bed. Pitch was indeed in the room, laying in a large bed, with black silk sheets. Candles were placed around the room, on different dressers and night stands made from dark cherrywood, casting the room in a dim glow. Unlike the other rooms in the Nightmare King's lair, the room was spotless; not a speck of dust in sight.

Snapping himself out of his musings, Jack focuses his attention back on Pitch. He frowns, having already expected the boogieman to be attacking him for daring to enter his domain. Pitch, however, appeared to be fast asleep on the bed, his black silk covers resting at his hips. The boogieman's grey, lithe, toned torso exposed, with the exception of a bandage covering the left side of his chest. Jack takes a hesitant step forward, noting how pale Pitch had become. Instead of his black hair being slicked back, it was hanging loosely by his cheeks. In essence, the King of Fear looked ill.

"Pitch?" The young Guardian asks quietly, taking another cautious step towards the slumbering spirit of fear. He held his staff up defensively, preparing himself for an impending attack. "Come on, Pitch. This isn't funny." Jack tries again, hoping that the Nightmare King was playing some sick, twisted game with him. When Pitch still doesn't stir, he reaches out, placing his icy hand gently on Pitch's arm. He felt warm. Warmer than he should have. At the touch, Pitch's eyes flutter open, and he gazes blearily up at the Frost Sprite.

"Frost?" Pitch rasps, wincing as he sits up, leaning heavily against his mountain of pillows. "To what do I owe the _pleasure_ of your presence?"

"Are you alright? Pitch...are you sick?" Jack ask worriedly, his grip on his staff tightening, half expecting the boogieman to pummel him for intruding.

"Hardly." Pitch scoffs, running a weak hand through his hair, trying to get the black strands out of his face. "Why are you here? Come to mock me for my failure?"

"No! Nothing like that! You haven't been around, and the Nightmares have been running wild. We just wanted to make sure that everything was alright." Jack tries, but Pitch lets out a painful, bitter laugh as he glances over to the young Guardian.

"I highly doubt you Guardians care about my well-being. As you have guessed, the Nightmares no longer listen to me. It is hardly my concern if now you regret what you have done." Pitch snaps, his golden eyes laced with pain and betrayal as he glares over at Jack. The younger spirit lowers his head, his shoulders slumping in shame.

"We were only trying to defend yourselves, Pitch. I'm so sorry. Are you alright, though? Did the Nightmares do this to you?" Pitch scoffs again, his right hand absently rubbing at the bandages on his chest.

"No. This is an old wound, reopened due to my weakened state. As for the Nightmares, they were trying to protect me from the likes of you. They may no longer listen to me, but they do not wish me harm. They sealed me in here so that you Guardians could not pursue me."

"Is there anything I can do?" Jack asks desperately, looking back up at the elder spirit hopefully.

"You can leave me be. I would much rather suffer in solitude." Pitch hisses, grimacing as he leans further back into the pillows.

"I don't think that you do...no one wants to suffer alone. You know that I understand what it's like...please, just let me help you." Jack insists, lowering his staff.

"I don't want your help!" Pitch snaps, glaring at the younger spirit venomously. "Haven't you done enough? Just let me be!" The shadows in the room start to shift, seemingly crawling along the floor and walls in agitation. Before Jack could protest any further, Pitch suddenly cries out in agony, clutching his chest as he slumps over to his left side.

"Pitch!" Jack rushes over to the older spirit, rolling him over onto his back, and his eyes widen, seeing Pitch clawing at the bandages violently, tearing it off. The younger spirit gasps in horror, seeing the deep claw marks right across Pitch's heart that drags down nearly to his navel. Black blood oozes out of the wound as Pitch thrashes helplessly, clawing at the wound. Jack catches the King of Nightmare's hands, his staff having fallen to the floor in his panic. The young spirit crouches over Pitch on the bed, his heart hammering in his chest in fear as the older spirit withers beneath him in anguish. "Pitch! It's alright..I have you." Jack tries to calm the Nightmare King down, which seems to work, and Pitch's thrashing slows. The boogieman's golden eyes slide open again and gaze up at Jack, unfocused.

"J-Jack?" Pitch gasps out weakly, his brows knitted in pain.

"I'm here." Jack whispers, gently squeezing Pitch's hands, that he had forgotten to let go of. "Is there anything I can do? Anything I can get you?" He asks quickly, trying to hide the panic in his voice. Pitch shakes his head, before screaming in agony again as his skin pales further. The wound starts to ooze faster. Jack's head whips around the room frantically, searching for something to help try to stop the bleeding. Before he could find anything, the door suddenly bursts open, and an enraged Nightmare tramples through the threshold. "No! Get back! I'm trying to help him!" Jack hisses at the creature, still frantically trying to find something to at least cover the now gaping wound. The Nightmare huffs defiantly at him, and he is suddenly enveloped in darkness, and ripped away from the elder spirit. "No! Pitch!" He screams, as he gets flung into one of the shadowy portals against the wall, with his staff flying after him.

* * *

Jack let's out a yelp when he lands in a particularly large snow bank. The Nightmare had dropped him at the North Pole. The young Guardian picks up his staff, which had landed next to him, and looks around, trying to get his bearings. At least he was close to North's workshop. But he was very far away from Pitch. Hopefully North would at least know what to do.

The Frost Sprite catches the northern wind and makes it to North's workshop in record time. It was just after Christmas, so he was hoping North wouldn't be too busy. He smirks, finding an open window, and slips inside. The yeti's grumble as Jack flies through the workshop in search of their boss.

"North!" Jack calls out, soaring through the halls. He lets out a sigh of relief when he finds the man he was looking for walking out of his office. The Winter Spirit comes to a halt, just before ramming into the larger spirit.

"Careful, Jack! No need to rush so much. Relax! This time to celebrate! Another Christmas passed with no sign of boogieman!" North shouts in his thick Russian accent, grinning.

"That's the problem, though! Something's wrong with Pitch! I was just there, and-"

"Hold on, my friend." North's cheerful expression instantly fades. "You went to visit Pitch?"

"I was worried since his Nightmares have been running rampant! Don't tell me you haven't noticed!" North looks away uncomfortably, scratching the back of his head.

"Was busy with Christmas. This very busy time of year, you know." Jack throws his hands up in exacerbation.

"What, is everyone too busy to realize that there has been no sign of Pitch, and his Nightmares have been running loose with no master?! We're Guardians! Aren't we supposed to keep track of the Nightmares and make sure that there is some kind of balance?"

"Well, yes but-"

"Something's wrong with Pitch! He looked really sick." Jack interrupts, clutching his staff tightly, trying to still his trembling hands. "When I found him, he was so pale, and barely woke up. Then, something happened and...I don't know! He was in so much pain, and the blood!" Jack gasps out quickly, looking up at the elder spirit, his eyes burning with unshed tears. "There has to be something that we can do! He's dying! Before I could do anything more, one of the Nightmares sent me away. I was trying to help him! And they're just letting him die! North, we can't let him die!" North sighs, placing a comforting hand on the younger spirit's shoulder.

"Pitch is not dying. Fear cannot die. Blood coming from wound in chest, no?" Jack nods, rubbing his still stinging eyes. "Ah. Pitch will be fine. Merely Fearlings regaining control." Jack pauses, looking up at North expectantly.

"What do you mean? I thought he controlled the Fearlings?" North shakes his head, before leading Jack down the hall.

"He does now. But didn't always." They make their way to a large maple wood door. The Guardian of Wonder opens the door, gesturing for the younger Guardian to step inside. Jack shoots North a confused look, before walking inside. It was a large library, with a stone fireplace already lit in the corner. Bookcases rose to the ceilings, lined with books of all shapes and sizes. North slips into the room behind Jack, while the younger spirit was busy examining one of the shelves curiously. The older spirit walks up to one of the bookshelves, and takes down a large, leather bound book, that appeared to be very old. Jack whips around and eyes the book, before casting his gaze back up to North.

"What's this?"

"History of first Guardian. General Kozmotis Pitchiner." Jack raises an eyebrow as North hands the Winter Spirit the book, eyeing the cover. His eyes widen, vaguely recognizing the figure drawn in gold on the cover. The man had on what appeared to be an old military uniform, and was very lithe, but looked very strong.

"Pitch?" Jack asks, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Yes. Sandy knew him back then. Were good friends." North gestures towards the plush red sofa that was nestled over by the fireplace. "Stay, read. But, be careful. Book very old. Manny gave to me long ago." Jack nods floating over to the sofa and sets his staff down beside him, before making himself comfortable.

"Thanks, North."

"Ah, no problem. Call if you have questions. Will try to answer, but Sandy will know more." Jack nods again before opening the book carefully. His eyes widen as the pictures on the page start to move. He doesn't even notice North leave the room, too engrossed in the moving pictures, that started floating above the pages.

General Kozmotis, did indeed look familiar. He had short, slicked back, golden blond hair and sapphire blue eyes. His golden lined army uniform was adorned with all different medals of honor. In the pictures, Kozmotis swings his sword, beheading a terrifying creature of darkness. Jack reads about all the medals of bravery that Kozmotis earned, watching in awe as the General slays Fearling after Fearling. The scene starts to become more elaborate, showing the Sandman back in a quaint village, spreading pleasant dreams while Kozmotis leads the Golden Army towards the creatures of darkness. General Kozmotis had, indeed, been the first Guardian during the Golden Age, and the war against the Fearlings. Jack watches in awe as a few more battles play across the page before the glowing pictures dim. The young spirit takes the hint, turning the page, and the pictures come alive once again. His eyes widen as a large, black dragon appears before the General, hissing viciously. It was just Kozmotis, his sword, and his horse against the ferocious beast. The General called out something to Sandy, who was holding off some of the smaller creatures from entering yet another village. Kozmotis leads the dragon off, away from the village, battling it the whole way.

Jack gasps in horror, seeing the dragon get a hit in. The monster claws the General in the chest, right over his heart. Kozmotis grimaces, tumbling off of his horse, and puts a hand over the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. The dragon appears to say something, cackling at the fallen soldier. Jack quickly scans the text, which seems to shift as he tries to read it, rewriting itself in a language that the young spirit could read. Trying not to get distracted by the magical text, he focuses on the words of the beast. His eyebrows knit, reading over the threat. Why would the Fearling want Kozmotis on his side? Seeing the pictures moving again in the corner of his eyes, Jack's gaze flicks back up to the battle. The General catches the dragon off guard, as it was taunting him, and digs his sword into its chest. The dragon stumbles back, and Pitch whips out a small, black cage from off of his belt, opening the door. The dragon roars with rage, starting to get dragged towards the small cage. It tries to escape, but black chains fly out from the cage, wrapping around the beast, and finally drags the hissing monster inside. The General quickly closes the cage, locking it, before collapsing. Sandy suddenly appears next to his fallen comrade, the panic clear in his features. He creates his cloud of golden sand underneath the unconscious soldier, and quickly takes off, back to their base.

The young Guardian frowns, turning the page yet again. On this page, Kozmotis was sitting in a chair next to a large steel cage with hordes of the monstrous Fearlings trapped within. Jack skims down the page, reading about how the Man in the Moon had posted the General to guard the Fearlings while he recovered from his injury. The creatures tormented Kozmotis endlessly, but the first Guardian stayed strong. Years passed and Kozmotis looked weary. He pulled out a locket, exactly like the one that Jack still had in his hoodie pocket. Jack's eyes widen, seeing the same little blonde girl. He skims down the page again, seeing that the little girl was Kozmotis' daughter. That the General had been slain back at his village, protecting his daughter from a pack of wolves. The Man in the Moon had chosen him to fight in the Golden Army against the Fearlings, and in return, he would ensure that Kozmotis' daughter was safe. The General had agreed, but the time away from his only daughter had taken a toll on him. The Fearlings in the cage caught Kozmotis gazing at his locket, and used his love for his daughter against him. One of the Fearlings trapped within the cage transformed, taking the form of his daughter. It called out in her voice, begging for her father to save her from the monsters. The panic on the first Guardian's face was obvious as he jumped up from his chair, and made his way over to the door of the cage. The Fearling continued to cry out for help, sounding terrified. Kozmotis opened the door, desperately trying to find his daughter. As soon as the door opened, the monsters were on on top of him. Kozmotis thrashed against them, trying to get the fearsome creatures off of him, but some of them started to slither into the still healing wound in his chest before the blackness completely consumes him.

Jack nearly drops the book in horror. Pitch never wanted to scare children. He was about to rush to North to ask more questions, when the page starts glowing again. The Frost Sprite cocks his head to the side, watching the rest of the scene play out. Pitch's daughter appears in front of the moon, appearing to be in her mid-twenties now. She looked enraged, having just heard about what had become of her father. Her life in the living world had passed, and the Man in the Moon had offered her Valhalla with her mother, or to spend eternity by her father's side. Since she had never met her mother, who had died during child birth, she chose to remain beside her father. Her image changes, showing her controlling the weather, before changing shape into a Nightmare, standing beside a Pitch that Jack recognized.

"She's...Mother Nature?" Jack asks no one in particular as the images fade away. He closes the book numbly, staring at the image of Kozmotis on the cover. A small knock at the door catches his attention. He glances over to see the Sandman floating in, a sheepish expression on his face. Sandy's face falls further upon seeing the book in Jack's hands. "I take it North called you?" The Sandman nods, drifting to the sofa, and takes a seat next to the Frost Sprite. "You knew Pitch back then...what happened to him..." Sandy nods again, looking up at Jack with a deep sadness in his eyes. "Why did the Fearlings want Pitch on their side...the dragon's words were confusing..." Jack meets the older Guardian's gaze questioningly. Sandy places a hand on the younger spirit's arm, and Jack's eyes widen, hearing the soft words in his head.

"_Pitch had a special power. He could bind and capture the Fearlings and he alone held the key to their cage."_ Jack nods slowly, trying to process.

"His daughter...she became Mother Nature?" Sand nods, shifting uncomfortably. It was obvious that the Sandman wasn't particularly fond of the woman. "I went to visit Pitch..." Jack added, wincing slightly at the look of concern Sandy shot his way. "He didn't attack me or anything! Something's wrong...he was sick...there was this black blood coming out of that wound the dragon gave him...he was in so much pain! There has to be something that we can do!" Sandy shakes his head, the voice echoing in the younger spirit's head again.

"_The General's power is too strong for the Fearlings to contain for too long. Every century, they have to regain control with fresh Fearlings. What you saw, was them losing control._" Jack's eyes widen in shock from the news.

"And you guys knew this the whole time and just let him suffer?" Sandy shrugs, looking down solemnly. The Sandman conjures up an image of Pitch's daughter above his head, but she had horns and fangs. More sand appears, creating Pitch in a bed behind her, and the other four Guardians trying to get close. When they take a step, Pitch's daughter hisses threateningly.

"You guys are scared of her." Jack guesses, smirking. Sandy nods, grinning up at the younger spirit, happy that he could at least cheer Jack up. The Frost Sprite jumps up, grabbing his staff, and sets the book back down next to the Sandman. "Thanks Sandy! I'll see you later!" Jack starts floating towards the window, Sandy jumps up too, following after him, and tugging on the younger spirit's blue hoodie. Jack glances down at him to see a question mark made from golden sand above Sandy's head. "I'm going to see if I can help Pitch!" Sand shakes his head, the angry, demonic version of Pitch's daughter appearing again. "I know, she'll probably get mad. I mean, I'm pretty sure she's the one that sent me here in the first place. But I'm glad she did. I think she sent me here in order to learn about Pitch's past. I can't just leave him there, Sandy. He never asked for any of this, and now he's down there suffering!" Sandy looks down again sadly, letting his grip on Jack's hoodie slip. "I'll be alright. Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it!" And with that, Jack flies out of the window, and catches the wind back to Burgess, hoping to find a Nightmare to take him back to Pitch's lair.


	2. Welcoming

**AN: **So, Pitch's daughter's name is never mentioned, so I made one for her. And I guess this is slightly AU because I am adding her to the mix. I have a feeling you guys are going to like her though ;) she's feisty.

* * *

Jack Frost grins, catching sight of a Nightmare faster than he expected. The tiny Nightmare was just emerging from the shadows of a streetlight, getting ready for the nights' scares. Jack quickly flies over to it as it starts to make its way down the street. The Nightmare senses him and spins around, its golden eyes widening as Jack dives forward, clutching onto its mane. It whines in protest, trying to fling the Frost Sprite off, but Jack grips its mane tighter, holding his staff to its neck with his free hand.

"I need you to take me to Pitch." Jack requests, holding on for dear life as the Nightmare bucks again, trying to get the young spirit off. "You're going to take me toPitch, or I'm going to turn you into a Pony-Popsicle." Jack threatens, smirking when the Nightmare stills. It glares back at him before galloping off into the shadows, teleporting back underground.

* * *

Jack huffs as he hits the solid rock floor of Pitch's liar. The youngest Guardian grabs his staff and floats back to his feet. He pouts slightly, dusting the dirt off of clothes. Jack glances around the cavern, trying to remember the way back to Pitch's room. He spots a familiar stalagmite formation, and heads towards it. Jack flies down the corridor, takes the few turns he remembered taking, and winds up in front of Pitch's door once again. He hesitates slightly before quietly entering the room.

Not much had changed since the last time he was in the room. The candles were still lit, but Pitch now had the covers up to his neck, facing away from the door. Jack frowns, seeing blonde hair sticking out from the covers instead of black.

"Pitch?" Jack asks hesitantly, holding up his staff defensively. The door suddenly swings open, and he spins around, seeing a beautiful young woman, appearing to be in her mid-twenties, with long, mid-back length, wavy golden blond hair, piercing sapphire blue eyes, and soft features. Her skin was extremely fair, and had a light green tint to it. She was wearing a emerald green silk dress that stopped just below her knees and was barefoot. The woman suddenly springs forward, grabs Jack's arm, and drags him out of the room. Once they were both out, she rounds on him, glaring murderously. Jack raises an eyebrow, vaguely recognizing her, but doesn't lower his staff.

"Just what do you think you're doing here?" The woman hisses in a light British accent, crossing her arms.

"I'm trying to help Pitch...you're...his daughter, aren't you?" Her eyes narrow further as the Frost Sprite leans against his staff casually.

"Yes. I have name, you know. Let me guess. The Guardians didn't even bother to remember that much." She seethes. Jack frowns, holding out a hand to her.

"Jack Frost."

"I know who you are."

"This is where you're supposed to introduce yourself." Jack snarks, smirking at her frustrated expression.

"Meira." She eyes his hand, before glancing back up at his face, choosing to ignore it. "Now, you need to leave."

"I came here to help." Jacks states, retracting his hand.

"Help how, exactly? I have everything taken care of."

"Maybe if he remembers who he was before-" Jack pulls out the locket, and her eyes widen.

"Put that away!" She hisses, her head whipping around the room, making sure that there was no sign of her father. "You don't understand." Jack frowns, slipping the locket back into his pocket.

"Then help me understand." Meira glowers, not relaxing her tense posture.

"Balance must be maintained. I'm certain that you know that much." Jack nods, urging her to continue. "Pitch Black must remain. However, do you have any idea what it would do to my father if he remembered everything that he's done? To the children he swore to protect? To the Guardians? It would destroy him. I won't let you put him through that." Jack's face falls, an his shoulders slump slightly.

"But things can't remain as they are. It's not working. I'm sure you've realized that by now. There has to be another way. There has to be something that we can do!"

"Hopefully I'm not spoiling the party." A familiar voice echoes throughout the cavern, causing the two spirits to jump, and turn to face the approaching figure. Jack's eyes widen, seeing Pitch slowly making his way up to them, a wistful smile on his face. What had Jack startled was Pitch's appearance. His skin, instead of being his usual pale grey, was almost flesh colored. His hair was golden blond and tussled, and his now sapphire blue eyes were nearly glowing with warmth when he glanced over at his daughter. The Nightmare King was shirtless, with a black fur blanket wrapped around his shoulders, and held together with his left hand. He also wore black silk pajama bottoms and black slippers on his feet. This was definitely not the Pitch that Jack Frost was accustomed to. Pitch glances between the two, raising an eyebrow curiously. "I didn't know you had a friend over, Meira. If you wanted to be alone with him, all you had to do was ask." She flushes, waving her hands in front of herself frantically as Jack flushes as well.

"No! It's not what you think!" She nearly shouts, causing Pitch to chuckle warmly.

"Just because I'm old, that does not mean that I do not want grandchildren." Meirafrowns, crossing her arms.

"I had five children when I was alive." His eyebrows shoot up, stunned slightly.

"Five...well, we did always want a large family." Pitch smiles again, making his way up to her. "I want to see pictures."

"Of course." He sighs, cupping her cheek in her right hand.

"You look so much like your mother..." His gaze saddens. "How long has it been this time?"

"Fifty years." She mumbles, leaning into his touch.

"I see...something must have happened." He glances over at Jack curiously, and lets his hand drop back to his side. The Frost Sprite was idly twirling his staff, shifting from foot to foot uneasily. "Are you a friend of Meira's?" He asks, causing Jack to freeze, and glance over at him.

"U-Um not exactly..." Jack answers nervously, shooting a desperate look over to Mother Nature for help.

"He's yours, actually Father." She states, her eyebrows knitting when she sees Pitch's face fall slightly.

"Please forgive me for my rudeness. I remember little of what happens when theFearlings are in control of this body." Jack waves his hand dismissively, feeling his heart break at the Nightmare King's haunted expression.

"No problem. Name's Jack Frost. But you can call me Jack." Jack holds out a hand and Pitch takes it, smiling warmly.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Jack Frost." The Frost Sprite beams, shaking his hand, before leaning against his staff again.

"Nice to meet you too. I'm here to help out today! Do you need anything?" He asks,smirking as Meira shoots him a glare. Pitch shakes his head, his sapphire eyes drifting up to the ceiling.

"I wonder what season it is..." He muses, clutching the blanket around his shoulders tighter. Jack's eyes drift to his naked torso, taking in the defined abs and chiseled chest. He flushes, realizing that he was staring, and quickly averts his gaze.

"It's the day after Christmas. North is probably having his yearly celebration on another successful Christmas." Pitch's gaze focuses on the young spirit again.

"How are the Guardians fairing? It has been so long since I've seen them."

"Why don't we go visit them? I'm sure they're dying to see you again!" Jack suggests, floating closer to the Nightmare King. Meira bristles at the suggestion, glowering over at the Frost Sprite.

"No. He is safer here."

"It's not fair for you to hog him all the time! I'm sure Sandy misses him!" Jack glares over at her, remembering the sadness in the Sandman's eyes at the mention of the General.

"You-" Meira starts, but Pitch interrupts her.

"I would very much like to see them, if that's alright." He states quietly, causing Meira to deflate slightly. Her spine suddenly stiffens and she glances out into the darkness of the cavern.

"Very well. The Fearlings are giving us forty-eight hours this time." Jack's eyes light upfrom the news and Pitch smiles warmly.

"Allow me to go get dressed and then we can depart." The Nightmare King states before turning fluidly and heading back towards his room. Jack stares after him, bubbling with excitement.

"Don't get your hopes up." Meira grumbles, eyeing the younger sprit wearily. Jack glances up at her, cocking his head to the side as he casually leans against his staff.

"What, you think that they're going to attack him as soon as we're in the door?" She gives him an expectant look, and he sighs, rolling his eyes. "Well, they're not. I talked to them already, and they want to see him."

"It's probably a trap. They want him there to finish him off." Meira hisses, causing Jack to snort.

"You have too little faith in people."

"And you have too much. That will be your downfall." Before Jack could retort, Pitch emerges from the shadows again, and the Frost Sprite's jaw snaps shut. The Nightmare King was now wearing a sleek black button down shirt, with the first two buttons undoneand black slacks. His blond hair was now slicked back, and his eyes were filled with mirth. That was something that Jack had never seen before, leaving the normally talkative spirit at a loss for words.

"Are we ready to depart?" Pitch asks, glancing over at Jack and smiles warmly. "I am very much looking forward to seeing Sanderson again." Jack nods dumbly, quickly looking away from the boogieman so that he wouldn't be caught staring. Meira rolls her eyes and starts heading towards one of the many shadows in the cavern.

"Here's a portal that we can take. Frost should go first so that the Guardians don't attack us."

"R-Right." Jack stutters, floating over to her. "Give me about a minute's head start, and then come through." The Frost Sprite flies through the shadowed portal quickly, trying to give himself at least a few seconds to collect his thoughts.

* * *

As soon as Jack steps through the portal, he collides with a familiar, burly figure. He glances up, seeing North gazing down at him curiously.

"Jack! Good to see you again! You finish book, yes?" North asks as he helps steady the younger Guardian, who was still trying to gather his bearings.

"Oh, um yeah. But I kind of invited Pitch and Meira here, if that's alright?" Jack smiles up at the Guardian of Wonder sheepishly, wincing slightly at the brief flash of anger in North's eyes.

"Pitch? Why you invite Pitch to Workshop? He will destroy everything!"

"It's not Pitch, per say. Remember how you were telling me that the Fearlings lose control of Kozmotis' body?" North nods, crossing his arms as his eyebrows knit. "Well,Kozmotis is actually the one who's coming...I convinced his daughter to let him come, if that's alright? I know that Sandy wanted to see his old friend again and-" The two blonds step out of the shadows, as North's eyes widen in shock.

"Nicholas St. North! It has been far too long." Pitch smiles warmly, taking a step towards the Guardian. North instantly beams, scooping the lithe man up in a tight bear hug.

"Kozmotis, my old friend! It has!" Pitch chuckles, wincing slightly from the bone crushing hug.

"This calls for celebration!" North releases the older spirit, and turns towards Meira, and pauses, noticing her glare. He turns his attention back to the general, the delighted smile never leaving his face. "I must call others! Phil! Bring eggnog and cookies!" North starts to walk off, still ordering the yeti's around, telling them to bring all kinds of sweets. Jack glances over to Pitch, who laughing quietly.

"It seems as though some things never change." The elder spirit comments, before taking Meira's hand. "Let us wait in the study. He always has his gatherings in there."Meira nods, smiling softly at her father's enthusiasm. It had been far too long since shehad him in such high spirits. Pitch reaches out with his other hand as he was passing Jack, and catches the unsuspecting Frost Sprite's hand, starting to drag him along as well. Jack flushes, stumbling along, almost dropping his staff in the process. "Do not be so nervous, Jack Frost. We are among friends."

"R-Right." Jack stutters, his blush growing darker as Pitch continues to guide him through North's Workshop effortlessly. He reveled in how warm, and soft the other's hand was in his, how graceful the other spirit was. It seemed as though the Pitch he knew got at least some of his traits from the General.

Meira eyes Jack, raising an eyebrow at the other's blush. She looks between her father and the younger sprit, then rests her gaze on the two's interlaced hands. A slow, devious smile starts to spread across her face. She could have fun with this new revelation.

North catches up with them right as Meira reaches for the door to the study. He spots them and beams as yetis come up behind him carrying trays of cookies, cakes, and eggnog.

"Come! Let us eat and be merry! Others are coming!" North swings the door open, ushering the other three spirits inside. Sandy glances up at them from the sofa curiously, closing the book he was reading. As soon as his eyes land on Pitch, his expression instantly brightens. The Sandman quickly soars over to the General, tackling him in a hug. Pitch chuckles warmly, catching the shorter spirit, and stumbles back slightly from the momentum.

"Sanderson! It's wonderful to see you again!" Sandy nods, clutching onto the General's shirt as Pitch returns the hug. "I feel as though I should been giving you my deepest apologies. I fear I may have done great harm to you, my dearest friend." Kozmotisstates solemnly, tightening his hug. Sandy shakes his head resolutely as strange symbols rapidly appear above the Dreamweaver's head. Pitch smiles sadly, the tension leaving his body. "Thank you. Though, I still believe that I do not deserve your forgiveness." Sandy pouts, the symbols rapidly appearing again, causing the General to chuckle, holding his hands up in defense. Clearly the Sandman was threatening to clobber his friend for believing as though he wasn't worthy. Sandy nods, grinning in triumph as he floats back towards the ground. The door suddenly flies open again and Bunny walks in, glaring over at North suspiciously.

"What's this all about, Mate?" Bunny asks, his eyes darting around the room. He freezes when his gaze rests upon Pitch. "And just what is he doing here?"

"It's not what you think!" Jack states, stepping in front of the General. "This is General Kozmotis Pitchiner." The Pooka's eyes instantly widen, and he takes a half step back.

"Blimey! He was still in there? I thought he was dead!" Bunny exclaims, staring at the General. Pitch rolls his eyes as Toothina floats into the room as well with several of her tiny fairy floating around her. She whispers to them quietly, as Pitch starts to make his way towards the food that the yetis had set out. He instantly goes for the eggnog, smiling over at North knowingly.

"Is this your famous spiked eggnog?" He asks as North chuckles warmly, nodding in confirmation. Toothina stiffens, hearing the familiar voice and looks over to him. She stiffens, gasping softly as Bunny continues to argue quietly with Jack.

"Is that…Kozmotis?" The Tooth Fairy asks hesitantly, drifting closer to where he was chatting with North and Sandy. The Sandman had refused to the General's side since he arrived. As Toothina starts to make her way over to him, Meira steps in front of her, draping an arm around her shoulder.

"Toothina. It's been ages! Why don't we let the boys talk? Besides, I need some girl talk." Mother Nature smiles up at her sweetly, ushering the confused Tooth Fairy towards a sofa further from the male spirits.

"Tell us war stories!" North booms to Pitch, working on his second mug of bourbon spiked eggnog. "Heard you were quite talented with sword! Maybe can teach me few tricks?" Pitch chuckles, taking a seat on the nearby sofa. Sandy, North, Jack, andBunnymund join him. Jack and Sandy were on either side of the Nightmare King while North and Bunny sat across from him. A coffee table filled with cookies sat between them, which the male spirits helped themselves to.

"Perhaps one day I can teach you some tricks…" Pitch muses, taking another sip of his eggnog. "As for some war stories…where to begin…" His sapphire eyes drift over to Sandy, who looked thoughtful. The Dreamweaver's eyes suddenly brighten and a multi-headed snake appears above his head. Pitch smirks, nodding in agreement. "Ah, the Hydra then."

"You battled a Hydra?!" Jack exclaims, nearly dropping his mug. Sandy nods happily, as Pitch's smirk widens.

"Yes. It was on one of the more Aquatic planets we visited during the war." Pitch starts, as the others lean forward, completely engaged in the story.

The rest of the night was filled with Pitch telling war stories that were animated by Sandy's conversational sand. The tray full of eggnog was now empty as well as the rest of the cookies and cakes. Meira and Tooth glance over at the sofas where the men were located, and giggle. The five male spirits were all fast asleep. Bunny was curled up on one side of the couch while North was sprawled out on the other. Jack and Sandy were curled up on either side of Pitch. The youngest Guardian had his head rested on the Nightmare King's shoulder, while Pitch had his cheek rested on top of the Frost Sprite's head.

"You were right!" Toothina giggles, smiling over at them. "They do make a cute couple. Are you planning on playing matchmaker?" She glances over at Meira curiously, who was grinning mischievously.

"Of course. Pitch Black is the most human when he is with Jack...I think he brings out the best in my father."

"So, where do we start?" The Tooth Fairy grins, floating closer to Meira.

"Here's the plan."


End file.
